


Runs in My Family

by Ghostinthehouse



Series: Demon and Angel Professors [162]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Disabled Crowley (Good Omens), M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29791266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostinthehouse/pseuds/Ghostinthehouse
Summary: Jess looked round once more, then buried her face in her hands and tried to figure out where it had all gone so wrong.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley & Warlock Dowling & Adam Young, Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Warlock Dowling/Adam Young
Series: Demon and Angel Professors [162]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1412962
Comments: 32
Kudos: 396





	Runs in My Family

Jess found herself in a quiet corner of the grounds. She checked in all directions before she let herself crumple onto a bench, but the only person around was someone from the local garden centre hauling a sack truck, piled with bags of compost, towards the greenhouse.

She looked round once more, then buried her face in her hands and tried to figure out where it had all gone so wrong.

She was interrupted some unknown time later by a soft voice asking, "You ok?"

She opened her mouth and what fell out was, "No." She flinched and looked up and saw it was the delivery person, now leaning on their empty sack truck, wearing a uniform shirt and trousers, with a they/them pronoun pin, and a name badge that read 'Warlock'.

They smiled wryly at her, revealing fine laughter lines around their eyes. "Bad day?"

Something about them reminded Jess of her parents, and to her horror she found tears sliding down her cheeks. She swiped at the tears ineffectually and ducked her head down to hide them.

Warlock sighed, sat down on the other end of the bench, and pulled a clean hanky from their sleeve. "I'll take that as a yes. Here."

Jess blew her nose, the tears sliding faster. "I was just trying to do the right thing, the nice thing... And he was so _angry..._ "

A muscle tightened in their jaw. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Jess gulped and swallowed. "You won't get into trouble?"

"I have leeway enough. This sort of thing," they indicated the bench and their meeting with her, "I guess it runs in my family. Go on."

Jess took a deep breath. "My name's Jess. I'm queer," she began. "So are my parents, and most of my friends. We- we stick up for each other when people say nasty things..."

"Ohhh. I suppose you heard the usual rumours here, and tried to fix that?"

"How did you know?" Then the rest of what they had said connected, and Jess turned to stare at Warlock. "It's normal for people to say - horrible things - about...? Why hasn't anyone _done_ anything?"

Warlock looked at her with raised eyebrows that seemed uncannily like an echo of Dr Crowley. "Did you ask him about it?"

"Well, no, but... You don't just sit there and let people spread nasty lies! He isn't like that." She had known it, had wanted to be proved right too.

Something complicated, almost like a mingling of laughter and guilt, flickered across Warlock's face and was gone again. "Sometimes the right thing to do is _not_ the nice thing. You can mean well, and still hurt someone. If you'd _asked_ , he'd have told you that he had it under control. Maybe even given you permission to ask around about him, on a good day. But you didn't, and now..."

Jess flinched.

Warlock went on, relentlessly gentle, "Always ask first, if you can. Maybe you didn't mean to, but you hurt him. And meaning well doesn't make it hurt less."

"Can I - fix things?"

"No. Life's a rosebush. You can't take the clippings and stick them back on. But tend it carefully, and it'll grow back, better than before."

"But-"

"Into each life, some thorns will grow. Goodbye Jess."

***

Crowley scowled as his door opened. It had been a very long day, and he wanted to go home, not deal with more students.

But it was Adam. He said, "You look..."

Crowley raised a weary eyebrow. "What?"

"Rough," Adam finished smoothly. "Warlock says we messed up, and we're buying you two dinner as an apology. We thought the kid had permission to ask. So. What would you like?"

Crowley buried his face in his hands, trying to think. It wasn't a rice crispy day, his jaw was fine, he was just drained. "Something low spoon."

"I'll put Warlock on it. They know what you like."

Aziraphale appeared behind Adam. "Come on, dear. Let's get you home."


End file.
